October is Fire Prevention Month

Most people don’t know but October is Fire Prevention Month, and with so many candles and lanterns around you can never be too careful. If you’re going to use open flame candles or jack-o-lanterns make sure they are away from flammable material and never leave them burning unattended. Make sure your house is equipped smoke detectors. Check to see if the smoke detectors are working by performing the recommended monthly test and replacing old batteries with new ones once a year. Always have a fire extinguisher accessible at your home. As a rule of thumb, if you live in a two story house you may want to keep a fire extinguisher upstairs and another downstairs.

Make sure that you have an escape plan for your family in the event of a fire. Keep important documents, like insurance policies and a complete room by room home inventory, somewhere secure like a fire proof safe or use an electronic personal record service like ma Vault. This allows you to access critical information from any computer in the event of an emergency.

To help educate your children about the importance of fire safety, visit the U.S. Fire Administration.